Lenovo Ideapad Miix 700 Review and Ratings

Editors’ Rating:

Our Verdict:
Lenovo's Surface-like 2-in-1 is more affordable than the competition, with one of the best keyboards in its class and two full-size USB ports. But a suboptimal headphone-jack placement and so-so performance keep this gold slate from shining. Read More…

What We Liked…

Low price (and lots of ports) for a Surface-like 2-in-1

Excellent included keyboard (for a 2-in-1)

What We Didn’t…

Keyboard lacks backlighting

Awkwardly placed headphone jack

Active Pen stylus costs extra

Battery life and performance could be better

Heavy on the bloatware

Lenovo Ideapad Miix 700 Review

Table of Contents

Introduction, Design & Features

We're still not convinced that detachable 2-in-1s in the same vein as Microsoft's Surface Pro models are the best computing option for everyone—particularly if you're the type who, well, types a lot. But if you're convinced a Surface-like Windows slate is what you're after, you certainly have no shortage of options.

Most recently, we looked at Samsung's Galaxy TabPro S, the company's first Galaxy-branded Windows 2-in-1, with its stunning Super AMOLED screen and excellent battery life. Before that was the slick HP Spectre x2, and VAIO's powerhouse media slate, the VAIO Z Canvas.

Then, of course, there's the Surface Pro 4 from Microsoft, and Dell's XPS 12. The latter we've had hands-on time with at a press event, but haven't tested yet. Lenovo, not one to pass up the chance to enter any computing-hardware market, of course has a Windows 10 slate of its own, the Miix 700 that we're looking at here.

The Ideapad Miix 700 isn't a major departure on the design front from similar devices, though it does solve one of our main complaints about Samsung's Galaxy TabPro S by offering up two full-size USB ports (and a micro-HDMI-out), as well as expandable storage via MicroSD cards.

The Miix also includes one of the most pleasing keyboards we've used on a Surface-like slate, though it lacks backlighting. And if you want Lenovo's stylus, which it calls the "Active Pen," you'll have to pay extra for that. Also, don't expect Surface Pro 4-like performance. This is strictly a passively cooled, Intel Core M-powered PC, though you can get it in a number of preconfigured models, with chips ranging from Core m3 to Core m7.

One of the best things going for the Miix 700 is price. When we wrote this in early April 2016, we were seeing the Core m5 model Lenovo sent us for review selling for as low as $699 at a few online outlets. That is a comparative steal, considering Samsung's Galaxy TabPro S and Microsoft's Surface Pro 4 both start at $899 (the latter, without a keyboard).

But aside from the lack of keyboard backlighting, we had a few quibbles with the Miix that we probably should have expected given the price. Battery life and performance were only so-so in our tests, and the tablet is doused with a big dose of unnecessary Lenovo apps. McAfee's nagging LiveSafe software comes pre-installed on the system, as well. Also, the headphone jack sits in a very awkward spot on the top edge of the device.

Still, the Miix is an attractive machine that borrows its styling from the company's high-end Yogas (the kickstand features bits of the company's "watchband" hinge), and our model came wrapped in a gold shell. If you're willing to do a bit of bloatware mopping, and won't rely on the headphone jack, it could be a nice "light" alternative to a Surface Pro.

Design & Features

It's hard to deny that the Ideapad Miix 700 is an attractive tablet. Some Miix 700 models come with a black metal back, but our review unit was adorned in a soft-hued gold. And the Surface-like kickstand, which lets you adjust the screen angle to any number of positions, is held in place by the same "watchband" hinge that adorns the company's Yoga 900 convertible. Here, though, the hinge doesn't run the full width of the device, but is relegated to a pair of three-quarter-inch strips on each side of the tablet.

The tablet's edges aren't as rounded as on the Samsung Galaxy TabPro S, and the Miix 700 isn't as thin and light as that device, either. But at 0.35 inch thick and 1.7 pounds (both measures are for the tablet by itself), the Miix 700 is still reasonably slim and light.

The extra thickness and heft versus the Galaxy TabPro S also means Lenovo allowed room for ports here, quite a few for a detachable tablet. Holding the slate in landscape orientation, the left edge houses a full-size USB 2.0 port that does double duty as the charging port.

Along the right edge are the metal power button and volume rocker, a full-size USB 3.0 port, and a micro-HDMI port. And behind the kickstand hides a MicroSD card slot for expanding the onboard storage past the 128GB solid-state drive in our review unit.

Contrast all this with the Samsung Galaxy TabPro S, which has a single USB Type-C port that does double duty as the charger, or the Surface Pro 4 with its single USB port, and you can see why we're gushing over the connectivity options here.

What we're far less pleased about, though, is the placement of the headphone jack, which sits on the top edge of the tablet, near the right corner. If you use headphones while typing or watching a movie with the Miix propped up on its kickstand, the cable is likely to be in the way, possibly hanging in your field of view unless you have a very long cable or you're sitting very close to the tablet. This is a surprisingly poor design decision from a user standpoint, and it will be very annoying to those who don't want to rely on Bluetooth headphones.

Still, decent wireless headphones are more affordable than they used to be, with many models selling online for less than $30. A workaround won't be all that expensive for those who need to listen to music while they work.

As for the speakers, they're average at best. Firing out of a trio of holes on each side of the slate, they produce clear enough sound, but they don't get nearly as loud as we'd like. Unless you're in a small room, expect to use headphones or an external speaker.

The Miix 700's 12-inch screen leaves little room for complaints, even if it isn't the best we've seen on a 2-in-1. It's an IPS panel, offering excellent viewing angles and a 2,160x1,440-pixel resolution that matches that of the Surface Pro 3 and Samsung's Galaxy TabPro S (shown on the left in the image above). Looked at side by side, though, the TabPro S's Super AMOLED screen has deeper blacks and more saturated colors, and it gets a bit brighter than the Miix's panel. But we could make out more details in photos on the Miix, without the AMOLED screen's saturated colors. So some will prefer the Miix 700's more naturally balanced IPS screen.

The Miix 700's included keyboard cover is one of the nicest aspects of the device, though there's definitely room for improvement. The keys are separated from each other, as we like it and unlike on the Surface Pro 4 or Samsung Galaxy TabPro S. And the keys sport the familiar "smile" shape, found on many of Lenovo's laptops. The shape is designed to give your fingers a greater "forgiveness zone," leading to fewer typos.

We can't verify that last claim in any scientific way, but we can say that the Miix 700 offers up the best typing experience on a Surface-style device we've used yet—so long as you aren't typing in the dark. Like the Surface Pro 4, the Miix's keyboard can be raised up at the back, held in place against the screen by magnets. This gives the feel of more key travel than there actually is, and a much softer bottoming out than if the keys were flush with the table or desk (like on the Galaxy TabPro S, shown on the right in the image below). You can type with the keys flat on the desk with the Miix 700, though, if that's what you prefer.

We saw several complaints online about the Miix 700's touch pad, specifically that it was overly sensitive, often picking up thumb movements while typing, even if your digits aren't actually touching the pad. Perhaps Lenovo has worked out these kinks in software updates, because we couldn't replicate the issue, even when we tried.

If you find the cursor speed too sensitive, you can adjust this speed within Windows under the Mouse & Touchpad settings. And the touch pad itself is easy to switch off for long typing sessions by hitting the F5 key. (The touchscreen will still work for mouse input.)

For those who want to write or draw on their slate, Lenovo offers an Active Pen stylus, but it doesn't come in the box. The company sells it as an add-on accessory for an extra $40.

Overall, we found the Miix 700 a pleasure to use as a laptop replacement, which is more than we'd say for most 2-in-1 detachables we've tested in the last few years. That's partially due to the fact that the kickstand lets you adjust to just about any sensible angle, unlike Samsung's competing Galaxy TabPro S, which allows for just two. We just wish the Miix's keys were backlit, and the headphone jack were on the side, rather than the top.

Software

While there's a lot to like on the outside of the Miix 700, once we booted into Windows, we were less enamored with what we found.

The Surface Pro 4 and Galaxy TabPro S are almost entirely free of unnecessary software, but that's not the case with Lenovo's competing slate. The Miix 700 comes pre-loaded with a slew of Lenovo-branded programs and apps, most of which seem superfluous. You'll find writing apps, a photo editor, and both a "QuickOptimizer" and an "Experience Optimizer" app. We counted 10 Lenovo-branded programs in the Add & Remove Programs dialogue. We'd recommend doing the latter to most of these.

More in-your-face was McAfee LiveSafe, which bills itself as "anti-virus, anti-spam, spyware protection, firewall, and Web protection." We can't verify that it does any of those things, because the fifth time it popped up asking us to upgrade to a paid version (which seemed to happen within the first half hour or so of using the device) we uninstalled it in abject annoyance. Windows 10 can handle most of these tasks, mostly without popups or nagging.

Configuration Options

The Miix 700 isn't part-by-part configurable in a strict sense, but the company does offer a number of pre-configured variants, both from Lenovo's own Miix 700 product page, as well as other online outlets.

Our review configuration was midrange in terms of hardware, with a 1.1GHz-to-2.7GHz Intel Core m5-6Y54 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 128GB solid-state drive. At this writing, it was selling for between $699 and $749 online. (It's available from Amazon, Newegg, and a few other outlets.) On Lenovo's product page are a few other options, including a Core m3 model with just 64GB of storage, which doesn't make much sense at its current price of $749. But an $899 gold model has the same Core m5 chip as in our test model, while upping the RAM to 8GB. And a $1,099 top-end model ships with 256GB of storage and a Core m7 chip, with the unit in your choice of gold or black.

For most users, the model we tested will be arguably the best value, especially if you can snag it for $700 or so. But many will want 8GB of RAM, more storage, and a more powerful processor. It's nice that Lenovo at least offers these options for those willing to pay more, unlike Samsung's Galaxy TabPro S, which comes in a single Core m3-powered configuration. (Microsoft's Surface Pro 4 tablets also have more available configurations than the Galaxy TabPro S, along the lines of the Miix 700, but with several featuring true Core i processors.)

Table of Contents

Lenovo Ideapad Miix 700

Our Verdict:
Lenovo's Surface-like 2-in-1 is more affordable than the competition, with one of the best keyboards in its class and two full-size USB ports. But a suboptimal headphone-jack placement and so-so performance keep this gold slate from shining.

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